Is Snow Impacting the Performance of the Property Market?

Is Snow impacting the performance of the Property Market?

With cars spinning out of control, getting stuck on roads, employees not turning up to work and people being urged by the media to stay at home, is the snow stopping the property industry from carrying out it’s essential duties? And as homeowners, what should you be watching out for? Kate speaks to her excellent industry contacts to find out what, if any, impact the ‘Big Freeze’ is having!

Rick Flay from Belvoir Lettings in Sheffield! "Yes we’ve been heavily affected. Staff have struggled to get into work, our cars haven’t been able to get us to viewings and of course it’s tough for prospective tenants to get to viewings too! Worst still heating bills are going through the roof! As an Australian, this kind of weather is a bit unusual, but we are doing everything we can to keep tenants, landlords and prospective clients happy – even if I have to walk to see them, we’ll get there somehow!"

Stephen Oldridge, Legal Partner, Bridge McFarland "It’s very much 'business as usual' for us at the moment. January is traditionally a quiet month for property completions and we are just recovering from a phenomenally busy December particularly in the area of new build completions required before the end of the stamp duty holiday on 31st December! Probate wise, we haven’t seen an immediate increase from the cold weather, but there tends to be a bit of a lag and we are expecting an increase in the next few months."

Steve Shaw, Manager, ARC Part Exchange Services "We are still doing well with new instructions, but we are finding that some agents are struggling to get out and about for valuations or viewings. Although this has slowed up offers a little, we are looking forward to a thaw this week and for things to pick up rapidly in the next few weeks!"

David Smith, Managing Director of Pan European Properties and surveyor! "The most important thing for people to check is that their roof is coping with the weight of the snow! Look for any ‘bowing’ downwards of the roof and check up in the loft to listen for any creaks at all."

"Next, keeping your building warm is ESSENTIAL. To avoid frozen pipes, make sure your boiler is working well and keep the heat at a minimum of FIVE degrees. Finally, take precautions if people are coming onto your property. Sadly you need to weigh up the likelihood of someone suing you if you did something to try and clear the pathways with doing a bit of gritting or clearing yourself."